1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to occlusion catheter devices and associated methods for vascular applications. More particularly, this invention relates to aortic occlusion catheter devices and associated methods.
2. State of the Art
Hemorrhagic shock is typically the result of penetrating injuries such as caused by traffic accidents and gunshot wounds. When a patient is suffering from hemorrhagic shock, cardiac function is unimpaired and the cause of the shock is blood loss. Treatment of hemorrhagic shock consists of volume replacement and hemostasis. In many trauma situations, it may be difficult to isolate the injury that is the cause of the loss of blood. In these situations, maintaining blood flow to the heart, neck and lungs while temporarily blocking the flow of blood through the aorta may be necessary to stabilize the patient and provide time for interventional treatment.
An example of such treatment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,593 wherein an aortic balloon catheter is inserted into the femoral artery and guided into position in the aorta of the patient. The balloon catheter includes two balloons, a distal balloon and a proximal balloon. The distal balloon is positioned in the ascending aorta just above the aortic valve. The proximal balloon is positioned in the descending aorta below the brachiocephalic trunk. When only the proximal balloon is inflated, a supply of blood is delivered to the arteries of the head and heart while blocking the flow of blood below the thorax, thereby providing hemostasis in severe hemorrhage below the thorax. However, these prior art devices and treatments require opening the intra-abdominal cavity and manually inspecting the arteries of the intra-abdominal cavity (many of which are hidden behind the organs therein) in order to identify the root cause of the hemorrhage. Once the cause of the hemorrhage is identified, the injured artery is clamped upstream from the injury. These steps are typically time consuming and can be problematic, especially when there is severe bleeding. In these cases, the lack of blood flowing below the thorax can result in renal failure or damage to other parts of the body that rely on blood flowing below the thorax.
Thus, there remains a need in the art to provide devices and treatments that provide for quick identification and isolation of an injured artery below the thorax, thereby stabilizing the patient and providing time for interventional treatment.